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VW chooses Ross to compete in Scirocco R-Cup

After a sensational maiden season in the Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Cup, Ross has been invited by Volkswagen to race in its hugely popular one-make series.

The 21-year old former karting champion made a huge impact on his debut at Knockhill, taking a podium in his first ever race and concluding the season with a brace of victories. This quick success prompted the Scot to consider a switch to the British Porsche Carrera Cup – but a chance meeting with Porsche Scholarship winner Daniel Lloyd led Wylie to turn his focus to Germany.

VW Scirocco R-Cup 2012

Scirocco R-Cup, Brands Hatch

Scirocco R-Cup, Brands Hatch

Mark Blundell (GB)Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup 05 - Brands Hatch 2010

Wings for Life, Adria

Wings for Life, Adria

Wings for Life - Charity Race Adria Raceway - 29.-30. October 2010

Scirocco R-Cup, Brands Hatch

Scirocco R-Cup, Brands Hatch

Start Rennen 1Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup 03 - Brands Hatch 2012

Scirocco R-Cup, Hockenheimring (finale)

Scirocco R-Cup, Hockenheimring (finale)

Frank Biela (D)Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup 08 - Hockenheim 2012

“The first time I heard about the Scirocco R-Cup was whilst chatting with Daniel at Knockhill. He raced in the series last year and his positive experiences inspired me to apply to race in the 2013 championship. Over 100 other drivers did the same but I was fortunate to be one of 30 invited to a shoot-out at Oschersleben (29/30 October),” explains Ross, adding: “We were initially assessed in a Polo Cup car and the top fifteen were invited back to take part in day two. Thankfully I was in that group.”

The second day involved Ross getting to grips with a Scirocco R-Cup racer, with further on-track assessments conducted alongside his media skills being tested. Despite having never seen the circuit before and no experience of driving a slick-shod race car, Wylie received a telephone call just a few days after arriving back at his home in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, offering him a place amongst the 30-strong field.

“It’s great to be part of a manufacturer-supported series but this is seriously cool. The Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup is part of the DTM (German Touring Car) package and everything is looked after by VW Motorsport. The cars have limited set-up options, so changes can only be made to things like the tyre pressures and anti-roll bars. Fans love the racing because it is so close and the addition of legends – former F1, DTM and drivers from other disciplines of motorsport, plus ‘celebrities’ like Sebastian Vettel’s dad – means that I’ll be performing in front of crowds of over 65,000 people.”

“I am delighted to be asked to take part in the championship. When I first went over to Germany for the assessment, I didn’t quite know what to expect, as there was a lot of talent over there. The Scirocco R-Cup will be a great launch pad for my career. It is a great opportunity and I intend to grasp it with both hands.”